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Pacific Northwest Trail

Pacific Northwest Trail


My Pacific Northwest Trail Hike


 
I hiked the Pacific Northwest Trail from the continental divide in Glacier National Park in Montana to Cape Alave on the Washington coast with my son from July 13, 2017 to September 16, 2017.

I wore a tiny pedometer the entire trip and figure I took about 2,587,370 steps to hike about 1111 miles.

Journal   Map   Gear   Food   Expenses   Supporters   Stats
 

My Gear


My pack weighs right around 17 pounds without food and water. The most days of food I carried was 9 (ouch!). I mostly resupplied from stores in towns, but sent a food package to Ross Lake Resort.
The prices are only for costs of this trip. Almost all gear was still working well from previous treks, but some of it wore out this time, so see the IAT Hike page for costs.

ItemOz$$Notes
G4 backpack16$0G4 Backpack made myself from pattern.
Comfortable, light, and plenty of room for all my gear. I used my green one and Josh used this grey one. After 5 seasons, they are finished so I'll make a new one this winter.
      Sleeping
shelter30$0MYOG shelterWe used my Bear Paw Wilderness Designs La Garita shelter with 2-person bug net includes stakes. It worked wonderfully.
sleeping quilt40$0sleeping quilt I made this quilt from a pattern for my AZT hike. We used both my lighter weight green version and this warmer one.
Exped Synmat 7 UL Pad16$0ExPed SynMat UL 7comfortable, warm, light mattress for restful nights. Josh gets a simple blue cell foam pad. Baffles broke, so I switched to a simple blue cell foam pad in Idaho.
Exped Schnozzel Pumpbag2.0$0exped schnozzel pumpbag Fills pad quickly with dry cold air instead of hot moist breath, and keeps me from getting dizzy! Serves as food bag at night and storage for clothes in pack during day.
Exped pillow2.7$0inflatable pillow xmas present.
Pretty comfortable and worth the extra bit of weight. Baffle broke in it after 7 years, so it's garbage now. I'm sure I'll get another.
      Cooking
No cooking on this trip.
food2-15 lbs.$0From 1 to 9 days of food.
      Water
water filter4.2$0Sawyer Squeeze filter continues to work wonderfully.
water bottles1.2$0two .6L throw-out bottles - cheap, easy, light.
water2-8lb.water is plentiful most of the time, can carry up to 4L. 2.2lb/L
      Clothes
Lutherhaven baseball hat3.5$1with home-made sun cape to protect ears and neck.
wicking t-shirt11.2$0light, synthetic. Same old one refuses to wear out!
long sleeve nylon shirt12$0for sun protection.
BSA zip-off pants17.2light and sturdy
Darntough socks2.9I got these on the A.T. and they seemed very nice, but I didn't get to wear them long enough. They are warm, soft, and sturdy. These socks were awesome! Still waiting for them to wear out. Both pair wore through. I've returned them and am waiting for replacements. Bought cheap replacement socks.
underwear4.23 pr.
shoes32.5$20Ozark Trail from WalMart. Got them for practice hiking and they fit nice, so I'm going with them. They last about 400 miles before the soles wear through.
bandanna2.0$12 of them, too many uses to list here.
down jacket16$70splurge item for this hike. Used it many times, and used for pillow on warm nights.
      Electronics
cellphone5.2for daily blogs and pics. Upgraded to LG Stylo 3. This is my watch, alarm, phone, camera, gps.
tracker4.2pings to satellite with my location. Batteries lasted three weeks when on for 12 hours/day.
headlamp.5$0Photon microlight Awesome photon light. One set of batteries lasts about 10 days.
batteries9.0$1512 AAA lithiums for tracker, and 24 CR2016 coin batteries for headlamp - purchased online for pennies.
PNT Map App0.0$50For help with water sources and location. These electronic maps are great tools and they weigh nothing. We switched to using HikerBot app and it was much more useful, and free.
      Other
trek poles14$0Using a new, lighter pair this hike that I got for Christmas. One pole broke for each of us.
pedometer.6$0pedometertrack my steps, just for fun. The great folks at GeoPalz gave me a replacement for the one I lost in the wilds of Wisconsin.
rain poncho3.4$4cheap disposable to cover me and pack from rain - taking 2.
rain skirt2.0$1Just a garbage bag cut open and cinched around waist.
guide4$30PNT Guide.
maps4$50PNT Guide.
bear spray100we each have one, it's like a lead weight!
food bag9$190we each have an Ursack Major S29.3 AllWhite bag. Most expensive items this trip.
50ft. core1.5hanging food to protect from animals - (never used it)
1st aid kit3basic personal items - bandaids, pain relief, tape, liquid skin, CPR mask, gauze pads, allergy meds, ...
pad repair kit.4
compass1.1
knife1.1tiny, single blade.
toothbrush1.3includes paste
ear plugs0I'm taking a bunch, just in case.
toilet kit2.8TP, Purell
misc.122 garbage bags, whistle, clippers, thermometer, and other small items
duct tape1.5Duct tape has many uses, but I'm taking bright orange for high visibility.
stickers3Taking some Hiking Dude stickers to hand out to folks I meet.
Total~19 lbs
- 4lbs worn, not in pack
= ~15lb pack weight
+ ~4 to 15 lbs food & water
= ~19 to ~30 lb pack
~23 to 34 lbs - total weight

My Food


We're going cookless:

  • Breakfast: 2 poptarts, 2 granola bars - 750 calories. I'm rarely hungry before starting my morning hike.
  • Lunch: nutella or PBJ on tortillas, fig bars - 600 calories.
  • Snacks: Austin crackers, peanut M&Ms, trail mix, sunflower kernels, jerky, Lil Debbie desserts - 1000 calories
  • Dinner: protein powder after hiking and tuna or sausage on tortillas, Nutty Bar for dessert - 600 calories.
  • Drink: just water. lots and lots of water.
  • Daily vitamin

My Expenses


  • travel to trailhead from home - $150 - train to Glacier
  • travel from trailend to home - $150 - plane from Seattle
  • gear - $20 shoes, $25 shoes, $20 shoes
  • guide and maps - $85
  • food - $234 restaurants, $646 trail food
  • lodging - $28 Glacier NP, $90 Olympic NP, $25 Forks campground, $16 Lake Pierre campground
  • Total - $1489



 

Pacific Northwest Trail Statistics


StatesWashington, Idaho, Montana
Distance1200 miles - but fire detours and alternate routes change that a bit.
Total ElevationThe total cumulative elevation climbed estimated to be 200,000 feet.
TerminusEast: Glacier National Park, MT
West: Cape Alava, WA
Highest PointCathedral Pass, MT - 7600ft
Lowest PointPacific Ocean, Cape Alava, WA - 0ft
Map

Click for Large Map
TerrainIt's all downhill from the Continental Divide to the Pacific. :-)
The trail traverses high alpine mountains, coastal rain forests, and great pine forests over a route that receives light traffic in most sections.
The trail is not blazed like the AT or PCT and advanced navigation skills are required.
HistoryConceived in 1970 by Ron Strickland.
Established as a National Scenic Trail in 2009.
First thru-hiked by 5 people in 1977.
ChallengesThe Pacific Northwest is notorious for grey, dreary, drizzly weather. Possibly long stretches of rain, especially towards end of summer. Snow hazards early and late in season. Eastern half of trail can be brutally hot and dry in summer.
Navigation through unmarked wild lands, not just following white, blue, or yellow blazes day after day.
Grizzlies and wolves on eastern third of trail.
Time WindowJune through November. Leaving too early heading west and the Montana snow will hamper progress. July and August are typically the best months for weather and bugs in the Northwest forests and on the Olympic peninsula.
Time to HikeTypically takes 6 to 10 to weeks.
PermitsGlacier NP, North Cascades NP, and Olympics NP all require permits.
Thru-hiker TallyUnder 500.


 

Trail Links


Google EarthView Trail with google earth
Full MapsPNT Maps
AgenciesPacific Northwest Trail Association

 

Land Managers and Partners of the Pacific Northwest Trail


Forest Service
National Park Service
Partnership for the Nat'l Trails System

Hike On: My Hikes


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Comments:
 May 04, 2013 - Harly Drum
Good luck and have fun.  I have my PNT journal from 2005 posted on my blog.  www.nwhikingblog.com
Mar 19, 2016 - Reed
Land Managers and Partners of the Pacific Northwest Trail include the non-profit Pacific Northwest Trail Association - pnt.org
Jul 26, 2017 - Michael Wiig
If you get bored on the way back to the trail hit up Farragut State Park. It was home for the 1973 National Jamboree West Site. I was there. If you need any mosquitoes let me know there are plenty in Maine this summer. Have fun and keep safe.
Jul 27, 2017 - Hiking Dude
@Michael - one of the nice things about this trail is that the bugs have not been too bad.  In Glacier, there were lots of mosquitos but since then it has been mostly biting flies - just not a ton of them.  Our bug suits have been VERY valuable to have along, sometimes wearing them most of the day.
Nov 29, 2017 - marc raffa
Hello :)
I will hike the PNT next July, can you give me a price approximation for the different permits required? Did you order them online in advance or just bought them on the fly?

Thanks for your help,
Marc
Nov 29, 2017 - Hiking Dude
@marc - If you look above on this page, the Expenses are listed.   Glacier was $28 and Olympics was $90.  The $90 was two annual passes which was cheaper then paying for each night.  We paid for the Glacier nights when we arrived and purchased the Olympic pass over the phone when we were around the Oak Harbor area.


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